Duchess
Part 1
I do not own Robin Hood.
26/4/09
Sequel to 'The Sheriff's Daughter'.
The Arrival
Vasey was quite relaxed one morning. He entered the main hall of Nottingham castle and was handed some letters. The first letter made him stop in his tracks. It was from Prince John. He shuddered slightly, with worry of bad news.
"Don't tell me, he's coming for an annual visit, have I got Gisborne yet? Are the rumours true? How should I know? Let's see, Duchess. Who? Why would he send some pretty Duchess to Nottingham? A surprise for me? What?" He asked, reading the letter.
No matter how many times he read it, instead of making more sense, the letter began to make no sense at all, up to the point were he wondered if it was even written in English. He had never heard of such a nobel-woman before. Duchess of London. It sounded too important to be just anyone. It was recent and she must have been named such by Prince John himself. Never the less, he was under orders to treat her well. So without thinking he prepared the castle and left the forest unwatched.
Prince John's carriage carried something far more valuable than gold and silver. Guy had spent months learning how to get money from travellers, earning the people's trust and cooperation of Robin Hood and the other outlaws. It was their big chance, stealing from right under Prince John's nose. The carriage had it's own guard of half a dozen men. They were struck down easily, leaving the driver surrounded. Robin gave Guy the order to open the carriage door. He smirked. Guy had many bones to pick with Prince John and was ready to lay down the law and demand more than gold from him. He wrenched the door open and his evil smirk vanished from his face. Prince John was not in the carriage. In his place was a woman, dressed in the most expensive dress, with long, well-kept, black hair. She looked at Guy then turned away again. He shut the door on her also. They had met before, or at least they thought they had. Robin lowered his bow and arrow and glared at Guy for an explanation.
"That is not Prince John. Let them go on." He said.
"No? Then who is it?" Asked Robin.
"A woman." Replied Guy.
He walked away and the driver looked relieved as the outlaws went after him. He hadn't told them the whole story.
"What woman?" Asked Munch.
"A Duchess I think." Replied Guy.
"Guy, you're hiding something." Accused Robin.
Prince John's carriage pulled up outside Nottingham castle. Sheriff Vasey walked down the steps. The carriage door opened and he idly offered a hand. When he looked up at the occupant, his eyes widened. The woman looked down and smirked at him. Her hazel eyes danced with amusement and superiority. She stepped down from the carriage and his hand remained limp in the air.
"Thank you Sheriff." She said.
The Duchess acted as though she had been to Nottingham castle before, she went straight into the main hall, eventually followed by The Sheriff. She turned to him again. He took his time taking her in. There was no way a dress like the one she wore would ever have been made locally. The jewels that she wore glittered in the sunlight. The woman looked like money in his eyes. The Duchess remained smirking. She curtsied before him and looked up again at him.
"Not going to welcome me home? Father?" She asked.
"Jane." He added cautiously.
"Duchess of London, father remember, I appear to over-rule you." She added.
"Prince John took to you well I see?" He asked.
"His majesty is rather generous with his money and trinkets." Replied Jane.
She looked around the hall. She made it look as though she was searching for something that was once there, or should have been there.
"Dear oh dear, I don't see Robin Hood's head up there." She said.
"Nor your ex-lover Gisborne's more to the pity." Added The Sheriff.
"Watch your tongue Sheriff." Warned Jane.
"That wound still open is it? You're no more a Duchess than I am King." Warned The Sheriff.
"Yet I see no crown on your head father, yet plenty of jewels and money on my person." Added Jane.
"Don't push your luck." Threatened The Sheriff.
"Or what? You'd see Nottingham burn? I bring this, an amendment to the old rule. If either The Sheriff or any member of his family are murdered, Nottingham will stand guilty." Said Jane.
She handed The Sheriff an envelope. He read the rule for himself and snarled under his breath. Jane smirked and her father stormed away. She had arrived, but she wasn't there yet. A piece of her remained in Sherwood Forest.
"A Duchess of London? Who is?" Asked John.
Robin shushed him. In Sherwood forest, Guy had gone to collect some wood. Robin had heard from the villagers of Locksley and Nottingham who the Sheriff's visitor was, and what had Guy so spooked in the carriage. He looked around and lowered his voice, yet spoke very clearly.
"Jane. She's back in Nottingham, with a title." He replied.
"Guy's Jane?" Asked Munch.
Robin nodded and the outlaws winced. Guy returned with much wood in his arms and dropped it in the centre of the group. He was about to get a second load, when Robin stopped him.
"Why didn't you tell us that Jane was in that carriage?" He asked.
"Does it matter?" He asked stiffly.
Robin mocked him in amazement.
"Does it matter? Guy this is the woman you love, who loves you! Why wouldn't it matter? You stupid man!" He exclaimed.
"That wasn't Jane, it was someone else." Said Guy.
"Then how do you know it's her if it was someone else?" Asked Munch.
Guy glared at him. Robin rolled his eyes, he saw the problem. Guy thought that Jane was too good for him, now that she was a Duchess.
"She'll still be Jane, Guy it's just a dress and a title." He said.
"Something I don't have anymore." Added Guy.
"Join the club!" Added Robin.
Guy couldn't help but smirk. Maybe he was worried over nothing. Yet he couldn't help but wonder how she became Duchess of London.